OK TO KUSHNER. NYT. “Hours after President Trump took his oath on Friday, the Justice Department issued an opinion saying that his appointment of his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, as a senior White House adviser would be lawful despite a federal antinepotism law.”
UPDATED INVESTIGATIONS MANUAL. InsidePoliticalLaw. “Covington today released an updated version of its manual for Chiefs of Staff to Members of Congress concerning best practices for responding to government investigations of Members and their staff.”
OGE HEAD ADMONISHED. Fortune. “Lawmakers from both parties on Monday admonished a federal ethics official who sent a series of tweets commenting on President Donald Trump’s potential conflicts of interest.”
BEHIND COMPLAINT. WFB. “Lawsuits filed against President Donald Trump over his alleged violation of a constitutional conflict-of-interest provision are part of a well-funded legal campaign orchestrated by leading Democratic operatives, internal documents show.”
RAVEL: TRUMP ROLL BACK. SB. “There is ample reason to conclude that the new Trump administration and Congress may roll back some of the laws that were intended to protect our democracy, including those ensuring equal access to the ballot and limiting the disproportionate influence of money in the political process.”
RAVEL RETWEET. WE. “In retweeting an anti-Trump message, Commissioner Ann Ravel joined with those who marched against the president in the weekend women’s event.”
AK: GROUP APPEALS. AS. “A group of Republicans trying to loosen campaign contribution limits in Alaska — following key decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court in recent years — is appealing a ruling by a federal judge in November that upheld the state’s strict limits.”
MD: LOAN ISSUE. BS. “In the final days of Pugh’s effort to defeat rival Sheila Dixon in the April primary, her campaign received $315,000 in loans, including $100,000 from the Baltimore County Victory Slate.”
NJ: PARTY WOES. NJ. “New Jersey’s political parties continued to lose their juice as a fundraising force in 2016, according to the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission, with coffers coming up short by one-third compared to a similar election cycle eight years ago.”
SD: REPEAL REFORMS. HP. “On Monday afternoon, a joint committee of the South Dakota legislature approved emergency rules to immediately repeal the entire law. The next step is a vote on the floor of the state House of Representatives on Tuesday.”
VT: TACKLING CAMPAIGN FINANCE. VTD. “Vermont’s attorney general and secretary of state are teaming up in an effort to improve compliance with campaign finance rules and to look at possible reforms.”
HAVE A GOOD DAY.